


Surprise!

by shyanne90__aa



Series: The Happy Drabbles [3]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords
Genre: Fluff? Maybe, M/M, get used to it, no beta we die like men, they make me happy, trust issues sort of, yes this is vidow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:13:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26010088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shyanne90__aa/pseuds/shyanne90__aa
Summary: Not even Vio can predict what their new comrade will say or do. Surprise! 🎉🎉🎉
Relationships: Shadow Link/Vio Link
Series: The Happy Drabbles [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1565989
Comments: 4
Kudos: 48





	Surprise!

**Author's Note:**

> i dont know why i decided to finally post this  
> wrote it for me for my 2019 birthday  
> guess i figured instead of desperately hoping more people add to the pile of shit to read i'd do it myself? idk  
> either way enjoy it

The boy in the purple tunic rested under the shade of a large oak tree, where it stood tall near the edge of the lake that stretched towards the horizon. He held a lime green book in his crossed lap, the title of which read “The Era of Twilight”. He flipped through page after page, reading about previous happenings and taking notes on the post-its he had attached to the margins. The quill in his left hand worked quickly, bobbing up and down in time with the scribble of his handwriting.

To his left, another male, similar in structure and appearance, leaned against the rugged wood at the base of the tree. His dark violet locks were tussled and strewn about, with small bits of flaky bark and leaves scattered within. The black tunic he wore was also covered in these bits of nature, the lively colors clashing with his dark attire. His head laid flat against a particularly raised root, and the hat adorning his scalp wavered gently with the soft breeze.

The one invested in the tome took a glance in the other’s direction and gave a small smile at the sight he was greeted with. The boy had fallen asleep, his antics quieted as he napped in the shade provided by the lumbering branches above them, a serene expression graced his countenance.

He finished jotting something down and set the quill to the side, before marking the page he was on by folding the corner inward.

“Shadow,” he started as he placed the book in the cool grass, closing the cover. “You need to get accustomed to being awake at a sane hour, you dork.”

His friend slowly opened his eyes, revealing two bright cerulean irises that glared at the person disturbing his slumber.

“I don’t wanna Vio.” He practically growled. “I’m not sane, I’m tired.”

“And I’m the King of Hyrule.” He told Shadow as he rolled his eyes. “C’mon, we have to fix your sleep schedule.”

The peculiar hat pushed against the root of the grand oak, sitting Shadow upright as he let out a yawn. “I’m still not comfortable with direct light. It’s just too… bright.” He stretched upwards as he spoke, locking his elbows in place for a brief moment, before dropping them down with a sigh.

Vio chuckled at Shadow’s statement, shaking his head in amusement. “Yes, the Light Realm tends to have quite a lot of light in it. You’ll have to get used to it if you want to do anything here.”

A smirk reached across Shadow’s face, his eyes alight in mischief as he lowered his brows. “Can’t you send me back, then? This is too bright for me.” He replied, putting his arms out and placing his hands behind his head, supporting it against the rough wood.

“I don’t understand how you ‘Light Worlders’ can tolerate it.”

“Shadow…” Vio pulled the bag sitting by his waist around to his front, undoing the latch and opening the satchel. “I’ve told you, that’s not funny. I worked hard to get to where we are now.” He explained as he lifted the book he was reading earlier, dusting it off and filing it neatly in between the other two in the set.

“Too soon?”

“Yes.” Vio answered, with a narrowing of his eyes. Shadow gave him an apologetic, lopsided smile in return, his canines glinting in the setting sunlight. It was a look that never ceased to make Vio lose his anger, and he caught himself fighting the urge to return the gesture.

Shadow watched as Vio clasped the bag shut before shifting his position, moving his feet underneath him and using the ground to pick himself up.

“Aw, are we leavin’ already, Vi? You’re no fun.” He pouted.

“Well, responsible doesn’t always get to be fun. We have to be home before dark, else the others will start to worry.” Vio adjusted the strap on his shoulder quickly, distributing the weight of the receptacle evenly within the small area of the leather hold.

“I don’t wanna.” Shadow refused, crossing his arms defiantly as he huffed, turning his gaze to the shore nearby. The setting sun brought a brilliant orange sparkle to the cool water, changing it from its cheery blue to a deep navy that complimented the fiery hue grabbing hold of it.

“Do not make me fetch Zelda again.”

“She’s in the castle!” He gasped, facing Vio once more. “Are you really going to take the time to drag her all the way-”

“My point,” Vio interrupted, with an edge in his voice, “is that I do not want to sit here and dilly-dally when we have places to be. Can we please go?” He took a few steps towards Shadow, who still sat in between the roots of the tree.

“I am in no mood to spend the next hour convincing you to get up.” He said sharply.

“I take it you didn’t find what you were looking for, then?”

“Not particularly,” He sighed. “You’re an annoying enigma, Shadow.”

“Oh, trust me, I know,” Shadow replied cheerily.

Vio peered up at the canopy above them, irritation growing in his body language. He tapped his fingers impatiently at his sides as he studied the light filtering in through the leaves. It seemed carefree, leisurely slipping through the branches as though it was the easiest thing in the world. ‘It must be nice to not have to work for everything,’ he mused.

“So, are you gonna get up?” He asked after a moment, snapping his fingers at his friend.

In response to Vio’s question (and slight hostility), the boy grinned, his signature cheeky self showing through his upturned lips.

“On one condition, my friend.”

Vio placed a hand on his hip, shifting his weight to one of his feet, before asking, “And what would that be?”

Shadow put his arms up in expectation.

“... You are insufferable.”

“I’m not moving otherwise.”

Vio crossed his arms, staring down at his friend in an annoyed manner. Shadow would want to be carried back. Of course, he would; it gives him an excuse to not exert more energy, and a chance to embarrass Vio in front of the other three. Sometimes he forgot how smart Shadow was, especially considering he fell out of a tree earlier.

He hesitated for a moment, lingering on the answer he would give, before releasing a heavy breath.

“You’ll pretend to be asleep the entire time, and if I find out that Blue knows about this, I will not stop until every last trinket you’ve stored away has mysteriously disappeared.”

“Better protect the books then. Deal.”

He approached Shadow carefully, kneeling at his side and stealing another look into his eyes. He seemed wary but still held onto that smug look as he caught Vio’s gaze.

“Impossible. You are impossible, you know that?” He muttered under his breath.

Shadow smiled as he turned his head, burying it into Vio’s side. “Sorry, I can’t hear you, I’m sleeping.”

“Don’t make me drop you.”

“Wouldn’t do much, it’s just dirt.”

After a quiet walk through the trees surrounding their abode, they finally reached the porch of the large cabin. Before this, Link had never seen such a big house (excluding the castle and surrounding noble’s mansions, of course), yet Zelda specifically ordered the construction group in the area to build it for them. It had six rooms, three on each side of the hallway, for the five of them and a guest. Sometimes the princess came to visit, other times it was their father, and occasionally even Vaati traveled to their home to check upon them.

Vio was pretty sure that Shadow had actually fallen to the realm of sleep on the way there, so instead of re-adjusting his hold and freeing a hand to open the door, he tapped at the wood with his foot.

“Coming!” A voice rang out from within. He really hoped it was Red.

When the door swung open, he was surprised to see the green-clad hero standing there, with a smile and cheery attitude.

“Oh, did he fall asleep again? He’s got a bad habit of doing that, huh?” He asked Vio. Green’s voice was higher pitched than what he remembered.

“Red? Why are you wearing Green’s tunic?” Vio inquired.

“Blue got mad and accidentally spilled some coffee on Green’s tunic, so he was upset, especially because his spare is too small for him, so I let him wear mine. We agreed to go out to the town and buy more tomorrow.”

“Huh.” Vio replied as he stepped inside. He slipped his boots off by the door and proceeded into the living room.

“Hey, egghead. You almost missed dinner, where were-” A deeper voice began from the middle of the room. Blue was playing a card game with Green when Vio walked in but was caught off guard when he saw Shadow being carried in his arms.

“He alright? He doesn’t seem to be the type to get hurt while you guys are out.” Blue asked, trying to hide his concern with a bored tone.

“Yeah, he’s fine. Just fell asleep, because he’s not used to the day time. How’s everything here?”

“I’m kicking Green’s ass in Go Fish, and Red’s making fish and rice for food-”

“Topped with lemon and dried pepper!”

Green gave a sharp laugh at his comment. “Who has four books, stupid?”

“Clearly me, idiot. Count ‘em.” He replied, swiping a small stack of cards from Green’s side of the table.

“Hey!”

“Well, I’m going to go get him situated, and then continue my studies, so have fun. Red, be sure to call me out for food, please.” Vio remarked as he began his ascent up the stairs.

“Aye, captain!” He heard from behind him, followed by the sounds of two boys fighting over four cards.

“Oh, wait, Vio! Let me open the door for you!”

Red, still decked out in Green’s outfit, came barreling past him and almost into the wall, before pushing Shadow’s door open.

“Ah, thank you, Red. I can handle it from here.”

“Are you sure? I’m also prepping some Lorulean Bass for Shadow, because I know he’s not exactly great in handling this realm’s food. And you know-”

“Yes, Red, I know you want to help. The Lorulean dish should aid in his transition, and if you could, can you replace the pepper with something from the elixir cabinet; the Dark Realm is a weird place, from what I’ve heard.”

“Will do! What do you think about cricket?” Red asked.

“I was thinking more along the line of firefly. Just make sure you prepare it the way I showed you-”

“I know, I know. I’ll get started on it as soon as possible!”

Vio gave a light laugh in response. “Have fun, Red.”

He pushed through the cracked door, quietly shutting it with the heel of his foot behind him.

“I cannot believe you sometimes.” He mumbled under his breath as he tiptoed past the mess on the floor.

Shadow’s room consisted of a twin-sized bed, a chest, dresser, closet, an armchair (courtesy of Vio), a small table, and a plush rug that they lifted from the Tower of Fire. The Dark Mirror’s frame sat atop the low, wide dresser to the right of the door, with a normal mirror being fitted to the frame. To its left, the closet had both doors open, and shelf after shelf had been lined with various items from their numerous trips and adventures. The shiniest items were located on the top shelf, sparkling and bringing a childish feel to the otherwise dull atmosphere. In the center, the bed was pushed sideways against the window, and it was customized to have a canopy overhead, where they had hung thick blankets to block out the light, Various clothes, books, and miscellaneous items lay scattered on the ground.

He rested Shadow’s head on one of the many pillows at one end, before gently laying him down on the mattress.

“Seriously, I am never going to hear the end of it from him.” He pulled the blanket from the corner and placed an end in Shadow’s hand as he threw it over the boy.

He was about to stand back up and walk out to his room when he felt two arms wrap around his torso.

“I knew you weren’t asleep.” He growled.

“Nah, kinda hard to do that when everything is still so interesting,” Shadow replied. He didn’t release his hold in the slightest.

Vio took a seat at the edge of the bed and waited for Shadow to speak. Several moments went by before he said anything.

“... How did you know that I liked fireflies, Vio? I never told you that.” He asked.

A small smirk found its way onto Vio’s face. “I’ve noticed that when you eat, you often take it to your room, and when you return, the dish would look as if it were glowing.”

“Nothing ever gets past you, huh?” He whispered.

“Shadow, do you mind letting me go?”

He thought about that for a moment before saying “Hmm… no, I don’t think I will. I mind greatly.”

“Shadow-”

“Vio, please? I don’t like being alone. Even when I was first brought into this disgusting place, I always had at least the Hinoxes patrolling. Before we got this cabin, I was never truly alone.”

“Ugh, why can’t you be clingy and childish towards anyone else…”

“Because I have a reputation to keep, and you love me.”

Vio’s face turned a light pink. “As a friend, sure.”

“Mmm, no, I think it’s a little bit more than that.”

The silence that followed that comment was almost deafening to him. It was awkward, and weird, and he didn’t like it. Shadow, on the other hand, seemed content, with his eyes closed and thin smile curling upwards from his lips.

Vio let out a long sigh. “And what makes you think that?” He wondered, turning away from his friend.

Luckily for him, Red had come barging through the door at that moment. “Hey, Shadow! Dinner’s- oh, hey, Vio! Dinner’s done, guys!” He almost yelled.

Vio was quick to pry Shadow’s arms from around him and escape the room. He slid past Red and down the hall without a word.

They both watched as Vio angrily stomped through the door, Reds concern obvious on the expression he held. He quickly pulled the door shut before expressing said concern.

“Oh my Goddesses, Shadow, are you okay? I know how you feel about each other, and I just want you guys to be happy, but I didn’t expect that to be so awkward! Was he any different out-”

“Red, jeez, ever heard of personal space? Everything is fine.”

Red’s puzzled visage almost made him cackle. “Huh?”

“He’ll think about it over dinner, and eventually will confront me about it, and it’ll be fine.”

“You scare me sometimes, Shadow.”

“I scare everyone. C’mon, I’m hungry.” He told Red as he swung his legs over the edge and sat up. He took a moment to stretch, raising his arms upward and causing his elbows to crack before standing.

They made their way down the stairs and into the kitchen/dining room area, where the other three were sitting at a circular table. Red went and sat in between Blue and Green, where he began chatting up a storm, and Shadow took the chair next to Vio, who had reserved himself from the rest of the group.

“Hey, Red, how come his fish is orange?” Blue asked.

Before Red could answer him, Green explained, “‘Cause it’s Lorulean Bass. Since he’s used to having food from the Dark Realm, this is supposed to help him in transitioning to our food.”

“It was smart-ass’s idea, yeah? Sounds like something he would do.”

“Yep. By the way, Red, this is amazingly seasoned.”

The cheery blonde replied swiftly. “Oh, thanks! Vio taught me how to do the shredding and mixtures, so I’m glad you like it!”

“Oh, did he? How interesting.”

Vio glared at him from the corner of the table, and in response, Shadow winked at him.

“Yeah, that is interesting. Hey, Vio, why are you being so nice to him?” Green questioned.

“He’s basically a foreigner here, Green. Someone has to show him everything.”

“Oh, yeah, and someone needs to spend most of the night in his room talking too, right?” Blue piped up. He received a warning glance from Red.

“Unfortunately Blue, he is the most interesting out of the four of you, so on nights my insomnia bothers me, I would like some company. On top of that, he is usually awake at night, I am not bothering him.” Vio explained in a straight-laced fashion.

“Damn, Vio. There’s no need to call us boring.” Green muttered.

Shadow picked up where he left off. “You know what else is interesting?” He asked.

“Is it the way I cooked the fish? Because I thought I did a good job.” Red replied.

“The fish is great, Rojo, I was gonna say Vio’s ‘Trilogy of Twilight’.” His accent from the Dark Realm cut into his speech.

“Huh? What does ‘rojo’ mean, Shadow?”

“Did I say that?”

“Yes,” Vio stated. “And it means ‘red’, Red.”

“Oh, okay!”

“Why is the ‘Trilogy of Twilight’ so interesting, Shadow? It’s just some history, I don’t see anything interesting about that.” Green pointed out.

“I can give you two reasons.”

“Then let’s hear it, grape head,” Blue commented.

“Don’t call me that, we all know the real grape is Vaati.”

“Anyways, the reason that these books are so interesting, is because… one: the hero of that time could turn himself into a wolf, and two: because Vio thinks we can learn how to fix me from it.”

Vio suddenly pushed out from the table and slammed his silverware onto the table. Everyone was very confused as he stormed off upstairs.

“... Maybe I should go talk to him.” Shadow suggested. He quickly gathered his dishes and placed them on the counter before chasing after his friend.

A subtle knock echoed through the hall as his knuckles rapped on the solid wood.

_Thump thump thump._

“Leave me be, I made it very clear that I do not wish to talk at the moment.” Vio’s voice drifted through the slim openings around the door. He sounded almost angry, but there was a hint of guilt in the way he spoke.

“Vio, let me in.”

“No.”

“You can be mad at me, but you’re taking everything out on them too, and they aren’t a part of it.”

“I don’t care.”

“Yes, you do.”

Shadow twisted the doorknob harshly, making a loud clacking sound as the metal deadbolt hit the wall. “We need to talk, Vi. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way.”

It was quiet for a moment before a light click was heard from underneath his hand.

He slipped in without another word.

“Vi-”

“Lock it.” He demanded. Shadow promptly did so, setting the lock in place before approaching the pissed off, purple, perplexed hero.

Vio’s room was identical in arrangement to Shadow’s (and was much tidier), except for a grand bookshelf just to the left of the bed, which lacked the posts attached to the other frame.

The boy was sitting on his bed, wrapped up in his comforter and covered by the quilt Zelda gave him. It was clear that he had been confused by the recent event, as he expressed nothing but anger (which he only did when he couldn’t figure something out).

He snickered at the sight. “Look who’s being childish now.”

“Shut up.”

“Oh c’mon, Vi. You know I’m just messin’ with ya.”

Shadow sat on the edge of the mattress, careful to keep enough distance from Vio to make him comfortable.

“Well?” Shadow asked as he turned to face his friend. “Are you gonna hide in there all night, or are you gonna talk?”

The blonde looked out from underneath the lavender blanket, narrowing his eyes. “If you already know what my problem is, then why won’t you help me address it?”

Shadow gave him a goofy grin. “‘Cause I know you can do it.”

“I believe in you.”

The silence which followed that statement wasn’t exactly pleasant, but the dark being held his tongue. It was important to him that Vio take his time here.

He could hear the ticktock of the clock out in the hallway, and the distant sounds of chatter back downstairs. It seemed as though Blue and Green had started arguing again.

_“It doesn’t matter what his problem is! He has that dog following him everywhere he goes!”_

_“It does matter! Not only does it affect the team dynamic, but he is our comrade! We need to care how each of us feels, and he deserves that same respect!”_

_"You can’t see anything because you don’t think! It’s obvious that he’s got Vio wrapped around his dainty little finger! It’s only a matter of time before he betrays us again!”_

_"For the love of Hylia, Blue, we’ve been over this! He didn’t actually switch sides! And that’s not even the problem here-”_

_“Really? Then why else would he be so upset? Hm? Something is going on between them, Green. I can feel it.”_

_“So what if they’re good friends, Blue? Vio is probably still recovering from the months of non-stop research to bring Shadow back; he’s bound to get a little impatient with us after isolating himself for so long.”_

_“Stay out of this, Red.”_

_"Actually, I think he has a point. I say that we keep an eye on Vio for the next few days, and if he starts acting suspicious, we can initiate Plan V.”_

_“Hmph, fine. But don’t be surprised if I say I told you so.”_

_“He’s fine, I know he’ll pull through!”_

_“That’s the spirit! Now, let’s clean up this disaster of a kitchen.”_

After the other two hummed in agreement, their conversation halted, and the soft clang of dishes in the sink left ample room for Shadow to process everything.

“They don’t trust you.” A gentle voice spoke from his left. Vio had removed the blanket from over his head to just above his shoulders, letting the light bounce off of his golden, messy head of hair.

“They never did. Red was more accepting than the other two, but even he has his doubts.”

He looked over at his friend, who hand moved his hand over towards Shadow’s knee.

“However…” He continued. He gave Shadow a look, seemingly asking for something.

Shadow put his hand out on his knee, where it was promptly grasped by Vio.

“I trust you.”

A light chuckle escaped him before he continued. “I trusted you during that hell of an adventure, and I trust you now. And I know I have no right to ask this, but all I need is for you to trust me back, okay?”

Shadow’s eyes searched his face for any form of deceit, wishing he could find something, anything, to use as a reason to refuse. Instead, he found Vio wearing a guilt and sorrow-riddled expression. His friend had turned away to stare concerningly at his mirror.

“You feel that horrible about it, huh?” He asked.

Vio nodded slowly. “I took something away from you, something that everyone should have. I’ve done everything in my power to make up for my mistake, and although we seem to be on good terms now, I can still feel the subtle anger you hold against me.”

A little droplet had formed at the corner of his eye.

“All I want is for us to go back to how we were in the Tower of Fire.”

Ah. That was a fond memory. Many sleepless nights atop a dragon, or playing cards. Reading, painting, spying on the other three Links, partying, drinking, debating. Then there was that one night…

“That’s going to be difficult,” Shadow stated after a brief moment. “We don’t have a Hyrule to conquer anymore, or a Ganon to overthrow. No Hinoxes, no Dark Mirror…” He sighed, tightening his grip on Vio’s hand.

“No, we don’t have any of that. But you know what we do have?”

“Enlighten me, sire. I have a dire need to hear thy answer.”

A small smile reached his lips. “That, dear King, right there.”

They erupted into a fit of giggles, with Vio leaning on Shadow for support.

“Seriously though, I don’t see how any of that sort of thing makes a difference.” Vio managed to say after his fit subsided. “Unless the mirror also shattered your personality, that is.”

“Well, it did break my charming magical prowess, so in a sense…”

“Oh, stop it.”

“Look, I’m just sayin’, I miss my little balls of shadow! Being able to shapeshift was fun too.” He remarked. Vio simply shook his head.

“You’re ridiculous.” He whispered as he rested his head on Shadow’s shoulder. Shadow took his hand from Vio’s to wrap an arm around, hugging his friend, and replaced it with his other.

“No, I’m evil. There’s a difference.” He teased.

“Perfectly evil.”

“Exactly.”

He couldn’t see it, but he knew Vio had rolled his eyes at that comment.

“How about you, though? Mr. Yell-at-people-for-no-reason.” Shadow asked.

The blonde-haired boy leaned a little more into Shadow’s hold. “Oh, you know, coming up with another plan for world domination, trying to figure out how to restore your magic-”

“I wouldn’t happen to be the world, would I?” He whispered into Vio’s ear. His friend turned a vivid shade of pink in response.

“Sh-Shadow! Seriously? You are awful!” He raised his head off of Shadow’s shoulder and playfully pushed him.

Through his laughter, Shadow replied with, “Evil! There’s a difference!”

“Oh, that’s right. The perfect evil.”

“Mhm.”

Vio shook his head once more. “Wouldn’t have it any other way, you idiot.”

He told the other. “As it should be; I’m irreplaceable. Now, close your eyes, I have a present for you.”

“Oh, do you? This should be interesting. Just make sure you lock the door when you come back.” He responded.

He hummed his acknowledgment as he rose from the bed, watching for his friend’s eyes to shut. Shadow frequently brought Vio trinkets and such, usually on the more earthy level, for he had more appreciation for the ancient than he did.

However, he had something different in mind this time.

Shadow walked carefully across the room, being sure to avoid tampering with the piles of books and papers stacked up to his knees. He quickly opened the door, letting the light from the hallway seep into the lavender interior. Instead of leaving though, he left it open for a second before clicking the lock back into place and, as silently as possible, making it back over to Vio without alerting the other to his presence.

...

Vio had been waiting patiently for his friend, eyes shut and seemingly unmoving. He’d been trying to get Shadow to realize that he still trusted him, but he figured that Shadow would catch on and refuse. It was little things like this that had helped to get him to stay in the same room as Vio after so long. He expected him to bring another rock or strange stone to his room.

He was not expecting him to fake leaving, or what proceeded it.

He felt something soft and warm press against his lips, which caused him to panic for a moment. His eyes flew open, and he was greeted by purple hair adorning a face surprisingly close to him.

Shadow pulled back from him and smiled.

“Surprise.”


End file.
